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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

French girl name Capucine in England?

93 replies

ZazieMetro · 26/12/2019 18:33

I’m French living in England, and I have always loved the name Capucine for a girl. It’s a flower name, quite popular in France, but we’re not sure how it will work over here.

What do you think, please? Would you know how to pronounce it and do you like it?

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PandancerandRabbitoplh · 26/12/2019 19:57

Mirabelle?

HRHPrincessMegan · 26/12/2019 19:56

Eloise is equally pretty with both pronunciations and accents.

bridgetreilly · 26/12/2019 19:51

I would go for Clementine instead, OP, sorry.

goodluckdontdie · 26/12/2019 19:49

Go and watch a bunch of boys (or men) playing football and you'll hear "Manon" shouted a LOT, lol.

Once you explained the pronunciation, I actually quite like Capucine. But written down it DOES remind me of cappuccino. I wonder whether names are more heard or read.

woodwork · 26/12/2019 19:47

Honestly, my DC goes to an averagely multi-cultural suburban school in SE England and there are a variety of names from various ethnicities. Capucine is really not out there at all. I quite love it :)

HRHPrincessMegan · 26/12/2019 19:45

It’s a beautiful name - when pronounced correctly and with a French accent. My sister has an usual French name which has been mispronounced and misspelt by anglophones for the entirety of her life.
Also it’s not nearly as pretty when said by a native English speaker.

Original poster
ZazieMetro · 26/12/2019 19:45

Yes, I am thinking about using it as a middle name. I would like a first name that works well in French too.

OP posts:
Original poster
ZazieMetro · 26/12/2019 19:43

woodwork Ah, that’s good to hear! I don’t want her to be bullied for her name, but I don’t know how many children will know about capuchin monkeys or monks.

I do love Manon but it’s my sister’s name!

OP posts:
PandancerandRabbitoplh · 26/12/2019 19:41

I would go for a name that's the same / very close in French and English is you are French and he is British.

Names like
Juliette
Isabelle
Sophie
Charlotte
Elise
Lily

You could use your names as middle names.

woodwork · 26/12/2019 19:36

There's a Capucine in my 9 year old's class (SE England).

I remember hearing her name in foundation and in my head proncouncing it like the monkey. Until I heard the teacher procnounce it Cap-you-seen.

That was five years ago and I've never thought anymore about it. Never heard of her being picked on over her name and I think it's quite beautiful.

OceanSunFish · 26/12/2019 19:33

I love Capucine but agree it would be mispronounced. My French friend living in England named her daughter Manon. I think Cecile is lovely too.

PenOrPencil · 26/12/2019 19:29

Charlotte
Julie
Juliette
Sophie
Victoria
Marie
Marie + very French second name
Sarah
Elise
Eloise
Elodie
Adele
Laura
Louise
Josephine

MerryMarigold · 26/12/2019 19:21

Rosalie, Daphne

Palavah · 26/12/2019 19:21

It depends where you are but I'd be worries about people calling your daughter Cappuccin.

How about Claudine?

Onceuponatimethen · 26/12/2019 19:18

I love Cecile, Celine, Marthe, Emmanuelle

Onceuponatimethen · 26/12/2019 19:18

I think something else would be better

MerryMarigold · 26/12/2019 19:17

I know a French Julia and think it's a beautiful name which weeks in French and English.

Maria or Marie.
Claire

toddytoff · 26/12/2019 19:13

Cow pussy

pepperup · 26/12/2019 19:11

Clémence is my absolute fave but Clémentine is nice too (but be prepared for people to anglicise the pronunciation, like the fruit.
I think people would say Cap-oo-cheen which may not be what you are after. It’s also quite tricky for the English to pronounce but depends if you are staying forever or might return I guess how much it would be a bother...

B0bbin · 26/12/2019 19:08

Monkey

Majorcollywobble · 26/12/2019 19:07

An order of monks isn’t it ?
Plus a monkey with a whitish head like the monks’ habits?
It’s unusual but if you are French I’m sure you can get away with it .
I’ve always loved the name Ottilie.

MashedSpud · 26/12/2019 19:06

Makes me think of monkey first, coffee second.

IdiotInDisguise · 26/12/2019 19:06

They would eat her alive in school, sorry.

zasknbg · 26/12/2019 19:04

I’d think it was a misspelling of cappuccino

Mumoftwoyoungkids · 26/12/2019 19:03

Yep - I think I’d pronounce as Cappuccino without the “O”. Which is very different to the correct pronunciation.

How about Elizabeth / Elisabeth? If your husband likes traditional names then he can’t go wrong with the Queen’s name. But you could use the French spelling to make easier for your family maybe. There are also loads of really nice shortenings. (We didn’t use it in the end as we couldn’t agree between Libby and Beth.)